On Tuesday December 20th, 2005 I went to St. Louis Centre in Downtown STL to work on a photo assignment for The Arch City Chronicle. The goal was to take photos inside the mall to document the vacancy and decay that still exisists in this ugly architectural mistake that was built in 1985. I got a few photos of the exterior, and as I was in the process of taking photos of the interior, I was approached by security. In order to take photos inside, I needed permission from management. I was led to the office, and was told that I could not take photos of vacant storefronts. I told them I'd be happy to leave, and was told I needed to delete the photos that I had already taken. I refused and attempted to leave when I was chased and surrounded by 4 security guards who seized my camera, tripod and cell phone. They then handcuffed me and called the police. I eventually deleted the photos, and they called off the police, and I left the premises. I returned with a colleague a couple of days later to take some more exterior shots, which appear here. For more on this subject see: Ecology of Absence, Arch City Chronicle, and52nd City